LIVE FROM the Disney Wonder Holiday cruise 2011!

[socababy]

I agree that there are few-to-none adult-only activities while the ship is in port. If I'm staying on the ship, I just accept that as time to read or watch a movie. However, I'm very concerned to read that adult music now stops at 11pm every night! On my prior cruises, Wavebands and Rockin' Bar D had DJ music after the live bands/adult events and was open until at least 1am. Is that no longer the case?

This was not the case when we sailed over Thanksgiving. Cadillac Lounge or Wavebands (or both!) were opened to at least midnight every night. Wavebands may have been open even later but my friends and I always left around 11:45 to go get the kids from the lab before they closed.

 

[SanDeeKath]

We're baaaaack! Uploading almost 500 pictures right now and then will start to post some. Such a fabulous week! We are all totally in a daze and haze, realizing that there is absolutely nothing in our fridge, we don't have a concierge to call up to get us Palo tonight (or even more water), and we have about 10 loads of laundry piling up. AAAAAH!

I want to be back on board again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Somebody help me!

Katherine

 

[suzanneaz]

Katherine ~ Great trip report!!! Loved all your details, including riddles and gripes. It is good to know there isn't that much for adults so we can be prepared. Our trip is all about the kids so not really worried about it. Thanks again for sharing. Look forward to seeing pictures.

 

[cherokeemamma]

Really enjoyed your live updates Katherine!
I am wondering how your DD's friend did...hoping she had a wonderful time too.
We are taking our first cruise ever in about 50 days, I am so excited but now I am worried about eating lousy food. That isn't good...we will be on the Magic so maybe the food is better. I can dream, can't I?

I am really looking forward to seeing your pictures. So glad you had a great time and Merry Christmas (although a little late)!

TTFN
Darlene

 

[SanDeeKath]

Really enjoyed your live updates Katherine!
I am wondering how your DD's friend did...hoping she had a wonderful time too.
We are taking our first cruise ever in about 50 days, I am so excited but now I am worried about eating lousy food. That isn't good...we will be on the Magic so maybe the food is better. I can dream, can't I?

I am really looking forward to seeing your pictures. So glad you had a great time and Merry Christmas (although a little late)!

TTFN
Darlene

Hi Darlene,

Don't worry about eating lousy food! It's really not that bad. Just cafeteria style food...

DD's friend had a WONDERFUL time and she was all smiles throughout the whole cruise (how could you not be?). She missed her mom a little by the last sea day and was ready to go home by then. But that's understandable and very normal. She was an angel the whole time and was game for just about any activity... Thanks for asking! You'll have a great time too, don't worry.

 

[clean1owner]

Katherine

Sorry to hear about the decline in food quality and choices. It's been a few years since we sailed the Wonder, but our food was excellent, and changes or substitutions were no problem at all. I will give you a for instance:

On our first night at dinner (Parrot Cay), our daughter mentioned to the waiter that she could really go for some fresh strawberries. He told her that they weren't on the menue for that night, but he would see if he could "find any laying around". Sure enough, along with her desert order came a bowl of fresh strawberries. I asked him where he found them, and he just said that "the cooks had some left in the refridgerator." Every night at some point during dinner, our waiter came by with a bowl of fresh strawberries for our daughter. I managed to get the assistant waiter alone and asked him where the strawberries were comming from, and he told me that the waiter was running down 3 flights of steps to the pantry every night to get the strawberries for her!

It's things like that which distinguish DCL from the rest of the lines out there.


BTW Thank You for linking to this site from the other boards. Otherwise, I may have never found it!

 

[SanDeeKath]

Well, I have managed to upload a LOT of pix this weekend! I have a smugmug account that I can post them in so hopefully this link will work. DH and I have been arguing all day because he refuses to let me post any pix with our DD's in them (which is like most of the pix). But in any case, here are the pix of the gorgeous Walt Disney suite and some food porn...

http://kath00.smugmug.com/Other/Disney-Wonder-Public/20834615_F3LvJ5

 

[clean1owner]

Thanks for the link to the pics.

Too bad they no longer stop in Mazatlan. It is a great place to visit.

 

[suzanneaz]

Just reread your entire fabulous trip report and now I have a question....Did your kids wear and need the wetsuits? I haven't bought them for our upcoming trip and I am wondering if we will need them. Did they rent them on the excursions? Thanks

 

[SanDeeKath]

Just reread your entire fabulous trip report and now I have a question....Did your kids wear and need the wetsuits? I haven't bought them for our upcoming trip and I am wondering if we will need them. Did they rent them on the excursions? Thanks

When are you going? We did end up using the wetsuits when we went into the ocean. In PV and Manzanillo, both quite south with warm waters, we really didn't need them but the girls felt much warmer with the wetsuits and it allowed them to stay in the water much longer.

In Cabo, the water was pretty darn chilly. We did the Santa Maria snorkel and we are very glad we had the wetsuits that day. Also, for the dolphin swim, they provide wetsuits for everyone because the water is FREEEZING in the tank. It's a requirement for the excursion so I was happy about that.

Katherine

 

[Dchachos]

Katherine
I just finished my TA. I think it is cool that you could do yours live, I had to really fire up the memory muscles to write mine.

I loved reading about the cruise from your point of view.

Thank you again for hosting the SM party, it was nice to finally meet you and I really enjoyed the tour of your suite.

Hopefully we will cruise together again

Dianne

 

[silence]

Also, for the dolphin swim, they provide wetsuits for everyone because the water is FREEEZING in the tank. It's a requirement for the excursion so I was happy about that.

do you know if this is a new requirement? I am a fairly large person, and I didn't even attempt to try on their largest size wetsuit in February. No one questioned that I wasn't wearing it, just my swim suit (and yes the water was very cold!). Just wondering since I was thinking of adding this again for our cruise in April.

 

[SanDeeKath]

do you know if this is a new requirement? I am a fairly large person, and I didn't even attempt to try on their largest size wetsuit in February. No one questioned that I wasn't wearing it, just my swim suit (and yes the water was very cold!). Just wondering since I was thinking of adding this again for our cruise in April.

I don't think so. We were there last Spring and Thanskgiving and did the dolphin swim then too and they gave us their wetsuits then too. They wouldn't let you bring yours in and you couldn't wear any sunscreen (to protect the dolphins). I have always seen everyone with the same black and blue wetsuits. My dad is a very tall and heavy person and he wore their wetsuit last Thanksgiving without any trouble! It's snug but I htink it's supposed to be. I wouldn't worry about it. I think you could sign up and if they don't have a wetsuit for you to fit into, I would assume they would let you go without it. Katherine

 

[socababy]

I am assuming the master bedroom has a walk in closet like the 1 bdrms. Does the 2nd bedroom have a closet as well?

 

[OurDogCisco]

Loved the pictures of the suite... very nice.

Are you the same Kath that posts on TUG if so what a small world?

Also, enjoyed the trip report. Almost makes me want to book a cruise before they pull out of Mexico.

 

[suzanneaz]

When are you going? We did end up using the wetsuits when we went into the ocean. In PV and Manzanillo, both quite south with warm waters, we really didn't need them but the girls felt much warmer with the wetsuits and it allowed them to stay in the water much longer.

In Cabo, the water was pretty darn chilly. We did the Santa Maria snorkel and we are very glad we had the wetsuits that day. Also, for the dolphin swim, they provide wetsuits for everyone because the water is FREEEZING in the tank. It's a requirement for the excursion so I was happy about that.

Katherine

We are going in Jan 2012 so I am thinking it will be about the same weather/water temp. My girls are young (3,5), great swimmers but don't know how to snorkle so they may splash around and be done. We will wait until they are a little older to do the dolphin swim. They didn't even want to feed the dolphins at Sea World so it isn't worth the money for us. I'm sure someone will really want to do this so I don't want to take the few remaining spaces. Thanks for the info. Suzanne

 

[SanDeeKath]

Loved the pictures of the suite... very nice.

Are you the same Kath that posts on TUG if so what a small world?

Also, enjoyed the trip report. Almost makes me want to book a cruise before they pull out of Mexico.

Well, I tell ya, if we didn't go, we would definitely book a cruise now before the Wonder leaves LA! Despite my gripes, it was really fun and a unique experience that I would recommend doing at least once!

Yup, same Kath on TUG! LOL.

 

[SanDeeKath]

We are going in Jan 2012 so I am thinking it will be about the same weather/water temp. My girls are young (3,5), great swimmers but don't know how to snorkle so they may splash around and be done. We will wait until they are a little older to do the dolphin swim. They didn't even want to feed the dolphins at Sea World so it isn't worth the money for us. I'm sure someone will really want to do this so I don't want to take the few remaining spaces. Thanks for the info. Suzanne

I think that's a good decision. It is pricy and the kids at that young age probably would not get enough out of it to justify the cost. My girls are now 7 and 12 and it was the PERFECT age for them!

 

[squirrel]

I enjoyed reading your trip report!

I hope that the staff wasn't able to accomidate your food requests as the ship was so full/busy.

I will not be happy if they can't leave sauces off my food. I'm very picky and I remember the last time I was on the Wonder and had food made the way I like it.

Okay there was one lunch that they couldn't get right. I asked for pasta with butter. I was given pasta with butter but it was cold (like it was taken out of the fridge cold). They re-made it but put chili peppers in it. Didn't even try it-way too spicy. Then I was given pasta with garlic butter. By then I pretended it was good and then went to the buffet for lunch after my sister finished lunch.

 

[adnil530]

I enjoyed your report also. Thanks for writing it up. I have a question about the Santa Maria Snorkel and Sail. I see from your report that it leaves @ 7:15 a.m. I try to book excursions on my own if possible. Do you remember the name of the boat or tour company? They had wet suits on the boat or did you put them on before boarding? Did they offer lunch?

Thank you for any help.

Linda